Hahn on His Plan to Protect Owens Valley

Re “Hahn’s Pre-Owned Vision,” editorial, July 8: I would like to set the record straight regarding my plan to protect more than 320,000 acres in the Owens Valley from development. I have been working on this concept for the last year because I believe this open space should be preserved and protected for future generations. I disagree, however, that the city should give away this land to be managed by the state of California.

I am committed to working with interested stakeholders to develop the best plan to permanently conserve this land. This could include the creation of a Los Angeles land conservancy or giving oversight and management responsibilities to a trusted party. We have much work to do to make the permanent protection of these lands a reality. The bottom line is we need to work together to review all options -- not just turn the land over to Sacramento.

James K. Hahn

Mayor of Los Angeles

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Re “Hahn Moves to Preserve Owens Valley,” July 7: Mayor Hahn and The Times seem to forget the fact that Los Angeles paid top dollar for land and water rights at the beginning of the century and effectively created a conservation easement in Owens Valley.

Many have romanticized that Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power destroyed this great farming area. It makes for great Hollywood melodrama. However, the facts don’t stand up. The Owens Valley has a short growing season and bad soils. Furthermore, there were never more than 15,000 acres under cultivation. The people that created a fuss during that period were developers and merchants that sold goods to the farmers. As the farmers jumped at the opportunity to sell out, merchants lost their customer base.

After years of false stories about the DWP, many environmentalists have reversed their positions and admitted that DWP land purchases actually resulted in the Owens Valley remaining in a pristine state. The DWP has been a good steward for this area. Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to drive up U.S. 395 can attest to this. I hate to think what the state of California would decide to do with this land, given its budget crisis. Maybe it would find a loophole and sell off portions for developments like casinos, golf courses and condos to raise money.

Danny J. Martin

Cypress